Two muscled men in a basement studio… by David C. Dawson

I’ve not been on a video shoot this sexy before. Two muscled guys, stripped to the waist. Torsos lightly sprayed with water to look sweaty. Their arms wrapped around each other, and their lips touching.

“What do you think, David?” asks the director.

I force myself to concentrate on the video monitor.

It’s Sunday morning, and we’re at an acting school in central London called The Actors Temple. In a blacked out basement studio, with a crew of four, we’re shooting the video trailer for The Deadly Lies. It’s my latest thriller to involve Dominic Delingpole and his husband Jonathan.

The storyboard is simple. Each image of the video reinforces the two key words of the title. The word Deadly flashes up, and we see hints of the killings featured in book. The word Lies flashes up, and we see these two handsome guys.

And boy, are they handsome. Tom has a well-trimmed beard and a washboard stomach. His face splits into an easy grin between takes. Paul is a model, and has that confidence and poise which goes with years of strutting the catwalk. And of course, the chiselled body to go with it. When the guys first take off their shirts, we’re all in awe of the classical beauty they reveal beneath.

“Dad?”

Will, the director prompts me again. Yes, the director is my son. He runs his own production company, and makes promo videos for anything from anti-hate campaigns to wakeboarding holidays in the Caribbean. Today is one of the few times he’s shot drama sequences. And certainly it’s the first time he’s shot drama that involves two guys stripped to the waist.

“Looks great Will,” I reply. And it does. The lighting is mysterious and moody. The framing makes the action intense. Will directs the sequences he needs for the edit confidently, and with an easy charm. He knows how to get the best out of a team, he clearly articulates what he wants, and involves everyone in the decision-making.

A few days later, Will calls me excitedly to say the first cut of the video is ready.

“Watch it on a big screen,” he says. “See what you make of it. But I think it’s got huge impact.”

You can watch the video here. Judge for yourself. All I can say is, I am so proud of my director/producer son. He’s got huge talent, and is destined for great things.